A collection of British Raj and Indian pre-Independence Princely State official and personal ephemera, mostly on headed paper, in Urdu, Hindi and English, to include;

Lawa Rajputana headed paper with embossed coat of arms and interlocking initials insignia for Raja Mangal Singh Lawa above kutar symbol of the Neruka clan, early 20^th century, ornate Hindi/Devanagari poetic style with signature (possibly a Prashanti praise poem). Possibly a personally signed piece of Indian Royal ephemera from the hand of Rao Bahadur Raja Mangal Singh Ji (born 1873, succeeded to the throne in May 1892)

1933 dated letter on Bundi state coat of arms and titled embossed paper, it appears to have been written by a child/young person and addressed to Ishwali Singh, detailing an illness of the writer and his recent arrival at Ajmer. The embossed title Bundi is crossed through and replaced with hand-written Ajmer (home of Mayo College – the “Indian Eton”, which many princes attended), therefore possibly from one of the young Rajkumars, the brothers Bahadur Singh and Kesri Singh of Kapren, who were adopted by Maharaja Ishwali Singh of Bundi in 1933, and attended the school from this time.

1907 hand-written letter on ‘Resident of Jaipur’ stamp embossed paper, from Lt Col Charles Herbert (Resident of Jaipur) to His Highness the Maharaja Sawai Sir Madho Singh Bahadur (Maharaja of Jaipur), thanking him for his assistance on providing Jaipur Transport Tongas (horse-drawn carts) during the Agra Concentration (a large military assembly of troops on the occasion of the state visit by the Amir of Afghanistan).

1915 dated East Indian Railway headed letter regarding the timetable of a special train for H.H. the Maharaja Sahib Bahadur, stopping at Agra Fort for half an hour.

1909 dated receipt slip from the Private Secretary of the Maharaja of Karauli State, for 48 rupees, with one anna stamp.

1928 dated letter on Sikar Rajputana embossed paper from the Senior Officer at Sikar to Colonel Cecil Hamilton Gabriel (acting Resident of Jaipur), informing him of the death of “the younger Rajkumar of Rao Raja Kalyan Singh ji Bahadur” (unknown, but this is possibly the son of the 11^th Rao Raja of Sikar who died young).

1924 dated letter on Resident of Jaipur crest embossed paper, to Rao Raja Kalyan Singh Bahadur of Sikar, from Resident of Jaipur Gordon Hay Anderson, regarding a meeting with Mr Reynolds.

A hand-written Hindi letter bearing Shri Sargoth (Marwar) stamp and further N.S. initialled personal stamp (further signed N*** Singh), possibly to Pratap Singh and/or a member of the Rathore dynasty.

1932 dated letter on Resident of Jaipur crest embossed paper to Mr J.A. de Souza M.B.E. (Senior Officer at Sikar), enquiring “unofficially” whether any settlement operations are in progress or contemplated in Sikar. Possibly relating to revenue settlements. John Alfred de Souza was the Extra Assistant Commissioner based in Ajmer-Merwara.

1913 dated hand-written bureaucratic letter on lined notepaper, from Bholanath Chatterjee in Karauli, requesting the recipient to check with His Highness “if there is any objection to taking the signatures of the wives” of various Thakurs (Chiefs); he cannot approach them until he knows the opinion of His Highness.

1937 dated Government of India embossed and Mayo College of Ajmer headed typed letter, to Captain A.W.T. Webb (retired Indian Army and Senior Officer at Thikana Sikar), regarding the hope to accommodate Hardayal Singh in Kashmir House at the college for his final year. Possibly Kunwar Hardayal Singh (b.1922), son of Rao Raja Kalyan Singh Bahadur, ruler of Sikar 1922-1967.

1929 dated Sikar Rajputana crest embossed typed letter, official resignation from J.H. Raina, Senior Officer of Sikar, addressed to Rao Raja [Kalyan Singh] Bahadur.

1930 dated Mahakma Khas [High Court] Jaipur State crest stamped typed legal letter, to Thakur Hari Singhji, Khatu House, Jaipur, from the Revenue Department in Jaipur, regarding making a protest to the Superintendent about the entitlement to attach sheep… Thakur Hari Singh (son of the ruler Thakur Sobhag Singh) was the Commander-in-Chief and Chief of Police in Jaipur during the pre-independence era.

1868 dated Upper India Commercial Association headed paper, letter of receipt regarding the estate of the late Mr B.P. Hubbert, and several letters from Mr Hubbert headed up ‘Exchange, Commission and Forwarding Agent, Agra’ dated 1867. Benjamin Philip Hubbert is listed on the Families in British India Society website as a merchant in Agra, who died aged 27 and is buried in St Paul’s Cemetery there.

Mukhtar (lawyer) Certificate on The High Court of Judicature Bikaner headed and embossed canvas-backed paper, appointing Hargovind Sahai to the High Court, dated 1944.

Five astrological scrolls / Vedic birth charts in Sanskrit, hand-written on paper with numerical charts drawn in.

Insurance policies for transporting goods from Britain to India; Lloyds insuring cycles from The Hercules Cycle & Motor Co Ltd on the S.S. City of Newcastle (1933); Lloyds for Gander & White to ship cricket and other sporting goods (1934); W.W. Cockshoot, Hobson & Hodgson to transport cotton wares (1926).

Court case card with official stamp for Mamlatdar’s Court Jafarabad, in Gujarati. The Mamlatdar’s Court primarily dealt with land disputes.

14 revenue stamped papers with imprinted 8 annas stamps, being Sarkar Gaikwad (state of Baroda/Vadodara) and Idar State, some with royal sword motif, some depicting portraits of Maharajas to include Himmat Singh and Sayajirao Gaekwad III, 1930s & ‘40s.

A hand-written letter on Husen Khan & Co Merchants and Commission Agents of Agra headed paper, dated 1915, regarding a sample of oil lamps.

Further ephemera being; a typed c.1950 second page of a letter, bearing stamped crest depicting Ganesh above motto “Shri Gopal Mohta”, regarding pay condition for miners; further unidentified hand-written letters; a 1971 Madhya Pradesh State Lottery ticket; and a Huzur Court of Vanod Taluka permit to carry a weapon with table for applicants details etc.